Pershing Square Park

Your Guide

Pershing Park was designed by M. Paul Friedberg and Partners as part of improvements along Pennsylvania Avenue by the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC). The park, which was formerly a traffic island, is bordered by 14th and 15th streets on its east and west sides.

Completed in 1981, the multi-level park plaza, named in honor of General John J. Pershing, includes many of the signature design elements found in Friedberg’s design for Minneapolis’ Peavey Plaza (1974). This includes a central sunken plaza which also serves as a pool basin that is filled with water during the summer or frozen in winter for skating, a waterfall constructed with rough cut granite, amphitheatre style seating oriented around the plaza with lawn terraces, and a site-specific palette of furnishings, including moveable chairs like those found in Paley Park in New York City. In addition, the design includes a monument to Pershing designed by architect Wallace Harrison and a small structure that houses a café, restrooms and changing area for skating. The plantings were revised by Oehme, van Sweden & Associates in the 1980s.

Switching Sites

M. Paul Friedberg was originally commissioned to produce the design for Freedom Plaza and Robert Venturi that for Pershing Park. Asked to produce plans for both spaces, the two ultimately switched sites.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

Entrances

Entrance into Pershing Park can be gained at each of its four corners. Access pictured here at the northwest corner of the site is at grade. A bronze sculpture of an eagle on a granite pedestal sits to the left of the pathway. Known as the Rex Eagle, the sculpture, designed by artist Lorenzo Ghiglieri, was donated to the park by the National Wildlife Federation in 1982.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

The Basin

The basin at Pershing Park was designed to accommodate ice skating in the winter. The hollow fountain provides a storage space for the Zamboni machine used to clean the ice.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

Granite Terracing

Granite terracing edges the basin.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

A Plaza Below Street Level

The plaza is situated below street level on its northern edge.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

A Welcome Respite

Concrete picnic tables shaded by mature paper birches were planted to provide a sheltered area for park visitors. The sunken park, which serves Washington’s business and tourist community, is a welcome respite from the busy avenue that borders it.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

A New Planting Palette

In 1981 the PADC hired Oehme, van Sweden to produce planting plans for many of the spaces along Pennsylvania Avenue, among them Pershing Park. The park’s new planting palette includes honey locust, paper birches, and crape myrtle trees accompanied by grasses, sedum, and water-tolerant plantings.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

Custom Site Furnishings

Custom site furnishings were installed at the park, and include curved metal benches and post lighting.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

A Secluded Urban Enclave

Plantings frame views into and out of the site, creating a secluded urban enclave.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

A 12-foot High Memorial to General Pershing

Dedicated in 1983, plans for the General John J. Pershing Memorial, which sits at the park’s southeastern entrance, preceded the development of the park by 20 years. A tribute to the park’s namesake, the memorial was designed by architect Wallace Harrison whose original plan encompassed the entirety of the park. The 12-foot high statue of Pershing, which is flanked by two Dakota mahogany granite walls, was executed by sculptor Robert White.

Image: The Cultural Landscape Foundation

Comments

Dan GamberSeptember 24, 2012 10:45 AM

It is sad that the food booth in the square has been left to the mercies of Government Services Inc. Their mall operations have always been horrible, and this one was closed down years ago. Across the street is a booming sidewalk cafe. With different management, Pershing Square could be one also.